This year, as usual, I teach in the first year of the bilingual group of the degree in Primary Education (for future primary schools teachers) in two different subjects, “Resources and ICT in education”, and the part dedicated to the School Organization of the subject “School Organization and Educational Diversity”.
For the subject of School Organization, I have implemented this year a modality of “different” examination. In practice, this is a long answer exam, which must be done in writing, but which has a multimedia part.
Let me try to explain myself better:
At the end of “my” part of the subject (which works only in the first half of the second semester -spring semester indeed), I have given my students the instructions for the exam (I link here the instructions, as well as the assessment rubric, so that you can read them in full).
But, why do I ask them something like that?
- Because I think the best thing they can learn in this subject is to ask them important questions about the school organization, which have to do with more than one subject and are always complex, so rarely have a single possible answer.
- Because as they know many weeks in advance the questions, they can read a lot, not only from the documents we have handled in class (which they have re-read, I’m sure), but from other things in even other subjects that help them look at them from a different perspective
- Because I think it gives them space to decide what kind of result they expect from the subject.
- Because by asking them to transcribe the text I avoid problems of misunderstanding due to their pronunciation or my hearing, and it also allows me certain types of comparisons that avoid copied examinations, cheating and so (although from the beginning I encourage them to prepare the exam together and seek inspiration).
Well, I have to say that the result couldn’t be more satisfying.
Other years I had asked for videos, although I’ve been trying to fine-tune the call more and more and this year I’ve been left with an extraordinary feeling. why?
- I think that EVERYONE has learned important things about the school organization that will make them better teachers and that, I have the impression, they will always be clear… even if they forget the wording of the themes or the authors of the themes (that they will forget them as I do).
- Because they have shown abilities to tell stories and organize their thinking in diverse, creative, interesting, fun ways… Because they have overcome their fears and limitations and have made real efforts with their English and many have improved it a lot for this work…
- Because the brilliant works, which are a lot, all have a level of depth in their proposal that goes beyond in many cases the pure written reflection and is complemented with visual reflection…
From the results there are ways to tell the story very varied:
We have Hand Writing Visual Thinking:
Web 2.0 tool enhanced Visual thinking:
Hand Crafting Story Telling:
Something more Documentary or Movie Story Telling:
And much more… I leave here a playlist that only includes those who have scored above 9 (which are already 12), in the range of 8 to 9 points there is another great pile of videos, but I wanted to make a selection and only go those who have more than 9.
Warning! many of those who do not appear in that list have also make me happy, I confess that I hesitated long before making the selection, but in the end I chose to make it, because I do not want the fear that some of my students feel excluded from the selection, end up not highlighting how wonderful they are and the many joys that give me all.
Apologies beforehand if anyone thinks I haven’t valued their work as well as I should, but I’m afraid that’s inevitable.
Congratulations to everyone. I hope that besides the feeling of having worked too much, you share some of my happiness.
As always, thank you to my students for teaching me so much and making me happy.